Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II has proved an extremely controversial release for several reasons. A vocal minority of gamers' grievances lie in the main character's sexual orientation and the two leads being women. However, some fans are genuinely curious and trying to reason with what they consider to be plot holes within the story.
Hopefully, the following list clears the air on some of the more ambiguous elements of the narrative, and better showcases why some characters act the way they do during the emotionally gripping and disturbing campaign. No game is perfect, but The Last of Us 2 comes close.
10 Why Is Isaac So Forgiving To Abby?
Given his ruthlessness, one would expect Isaac, the head of the WLF, to shoot Abby on sight upon seeing her with a Seraphite. Laura Bailey explained in a Kinda Funny interview that Isaac knew Abby's father and took her in after the Fireflies disbanded. Isaac was also a former Firefly, so he understood the trauma of losing something for which they had so much faith.
9 Pearl Jam
The outbreak in The Last of Us occurred on September 26th, 2013. The album containing the song "Future Days" by Pearl Jam, Lightning Bolt, came out on October 10th of the same year. How, then, was Joel able to learn the song? Neil Druckmann explains that live versions of the song appeared on the internet months prior to the outbreak, giving Joel the chance to hear and play it before the world spiraled into its current state.
8 Why Joel So Readily Trusts Abby
Joel as fans know him from the first game would never risk trusting a complete stranger, but this is Joel who has lived in the comfort of Jackson for four years, surrounded by friends. Evidence and dialogue implies Jackson regularly tries to recruit outsiders into the town. Additionally, he saw something of Ellie in Abby since they are the same age.
7 Why Does The Group Let Ellie And Tommy Live?
There is ambiguity to this one, but one can see the group's division as to whether or not let Ellie and Tommy live after killing Joel. For one, they did not know the characters' relationship to Joel, so they perhaps could not have foreseen their obsession with vengeance. Secondly, these are former Fireflies and they don't see themselves as ruthless killers. To them, what they did to Joel was justice, and dispatching of Ellie and Tommy would have been murder.
6 Why Abby Helps Lev And Yara
Abby discovers vengeance was not the catharsis she thought it would be. Players see how unsatisfied and aimless her life is once they take control of her in the middle of the story.
When Lev and Yara come into her life, she sees an opportunity to help someone and save lives, something she and her father were dedicated to before Joel massacred the hospital. Like the game continuously repeats, Lev and Yara are her way to the light within the darkness.
5 Why Did Ellie Rescue Abby?
If Ellie wanted Abby dead so badly, why did she let her off the pole in the end? For one, she did not expect to find her in such an emaciated state, so in the moment she probably felt some sympathy and pity for Abby. Only after the image of Joel's death flashes before Ellie does the rage come flowing back into her. Secondly, when she does decide to kill Abby, she wants to do it in a fight by her own hands, making Abby struggle for life.
4 Why Ellie Lets Abby Go
Some find it nonsensical for Ellie to forgive Abby and let her sail off with Lev. The key to understanding this is the last flashback with Joel shortly before the credits roll. She finally started to process of forgiving him the day before his death. If she can forgive her father figure for all the deaths on his hands, then perhaps she can forgive the woman who killed him. It also stops the cycle of violence and vengeance started by his brutal actions at the end of the first game.
3 Abby's Body
This one is simple, but enough people are making a stink about it for this list to bring it up. Abby's body type is certainly not one people see everyday on the street, but a woman can absolutely develop such muscles with enough training and the right diet. She is not significantly more buff than Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, after all. Another thing to consider is the past four years of her life being solely focused on vengeance. This includes turning her body into a weapon.
2 The Uncertainty Of Actually Crafting A Vaccine
Many either justify Joel's actions or consider it a plot hole that the Fireflies are so adamant on killing Ellie for samples of her infection for a vaccine. While the chances maybe were low, one has to remember the Fireflies were not as virtuous as their intentions imply. They were not above killing and dealing with seedy characters for their supplies. It is not surprising to hear the group would sacrifice a girl's life for even just a chance at a vaccine or furthering the understanding of the disease.
1 The Ludonarrative Dissonance
Some consider it strange for Ellie and Abby to be so conflicted during the kills in the cutscenes. Why is Ellie affected by torturing Nora when she brutally killed dozens of WLF beforehand, and why would Abby think twice about killing Dina once Lev interjects? Nora and Dina are completely vulnerable in their respective situations. Abby is filled with rage and ready to kill a pregnant woman, and Lev's words give her the moment of reflection needed to see how this is overkill and let her rise above the situation.